Spiced Apple Muffins

These delicious Spiced Apple Muffins are perfect for school lunches or a with a cup of coffee for a warm and cozy morning tea. These apple muffins are humming with cinnamon and mixed spice. They are good for you too and are packed with fibre and made with whole wheat flour and oats.

There is something so comforting about the flavours of apple and spices together. And these Spiced Apple Muffins are just that. Comforting. I love the little pops of flavour from the apple and they have a great crumb but are soft and moist inside. 

These apple muffins are packed with fibre too. Made with whole wheat flour and oats they are a deliciously filling snack. They are also lower in added sugars but they still taste perfectly sweet.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This recipe uses readily available ingredients and I have noted some substitutions. You will find the quantity information in the recipe card.

• Sour Cream – adds creaminess and moisture to baking. You could also use Greek or natural yogurt or ricotta.
• Olive Oil – I use a low flavoured extra virgin olive oil in these Spiced Apple Muffins. You can use any low flavoured oil suitable for baking. You could also use melted butter. 
• Eggs – these add protein to this recipe and structure to the muffins. I use large eggs as standard in my recipes.
• Milk – adds creaminess and fluffiness in baking.
• Maple Syrup – I use pure maple syrup as opposed to flavoured maple syrup. I enjoy the depth and caramel-like flavour of maple syrup in baking.
• Brown Sugar – adds a softer texture than using white sugar. You could omit but the muffins will not be overly sweet. You could substitute with more maple syrup (around 1/2 cup in total) but I do really like these apple muffins with the brown sugar and recommend adding it.
• Vanilla Extract – I use a quality extract as opposed to essence in my recipes. You can get this from most supermarkets. 
• Cinnamon – adds warmth and spice to these Spiced Apple Muffins.
• Mixed Spice – this is a blended spice of cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. You can substitute with Pumpkin Pie Spice if you are reading from the US. This is commonly called Pudding Spice in the UK. You can also add more cinnamon and nutmeg instead.
• Plain wholemeal flour – you could use plain flour if you don’t have wholemeal flour. If you prefer to use self raising wholemeal flour omit the baking powder and baking soda. Wholemeal flour is also known as whole wheat flour.
• Rolled oats – adding more fibre and substance to these Spiced Apple Muffins.
• Baking powder –  helps with texture and leavening. 
• Baking soda – helps with texture and leavening.
• Apples – peeled, cored and diced. Avoid using cooking apples or tarter varieties of apples for this recipe and use a sweet variety. Also make sure you finely dice the apples. You could grate the apples if you prefer but I like the larger pops of flavour of diced apples.

How to make Spiced Apple Muffins

Preheat your oven to 200c and grease and line a muffin tray. In a large bowl add in the wet ingredients and the brown sugar and whisk thoroughly to combine. Then add in the dry ingredients and the finely diced apple.

Gently fold the mixture until just combined, taking care not to over-mix. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tin.

Reduce the heat 180c then immediately place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for around 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and stand for 5 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool.

How to Freeze Muffins

Muffins are such an easy lunchbox filler and so adaptable. And importantly, they freeze incredibly well. So they are perfect for bulk baking and popping away for school lunches all term long. 

Once the muffins are cooled completely, put them into a container or reusable ziplock bag. The muffins will freeze well for 2-3 months. To defrost take the muffin out of the freezer the night before and defrost in the fridge or you can defrost in the microwave.  

In the mood for more muffins? You will also love these recipes: 

• These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are always a hit and are a delicious way to start the day.
• And who doesn’t love chocolate muffins?! These Chocolate Muffins with Sweet Potato are so good.
• These mouth-watering Tropical Muffins will transport you to summer.
• And we adore these Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins.

Do you love this recipe? Remember to rate it ★★★★★

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I hope that you love these Spiced Apple Muffins as much as we do! I love to see you baking my recipes so if you try them make sure to take a picture and share with my on Instagram or Facebook. 

Happy baking, 

Bernadette